It’s March 2012 and a newly turned 21-year-old me is roaming the streets of downtown Indianapolis .

I'm at my first Big Ten men’s basketball tournament with the Spartan Bras s, the band that plays at the basketball and hockey games, and I never thought I’d see as much of the city as I did.

Full disclosure, I was a college kid with a bunch of per diem to spend, and Indianapolis law makes it hard for people other than those 21+ to go in bars other than Buffalo Wild Wings, Champps and a couple other big chain places.

Some Spartans might be familiar with the city from the football team’s trips to the Big Ten Championship there, including the program’s big victory this past December.

And Indy is a great city for a tournament like the upcoming Big Ten tournament beginning Thursday - it’s the perfect mix of business and pleasure.

In my case, there was a little more pleasure and less of the business.

My night started off with a group of friends at The Slippery Noodle Inn, the official MSU bar a little off the beaten path, but still close enough to get to on foot.

Again this year, The Slippery Noodle is the official watering hole for the Spartan contingent and is a must go-to if you’re decked out in green and white.

It’s comparable to Crunchy’s, in that you can get greasy food and beer in copious amounts for minimal cost.

From there, my posse headed to Howl at the Moon, a due ling piano bar that all the local youth said we needed to check out.

At first I was like ‘A dueling piano bar? What is this, the wild west?’ but then I walked in and it was nothing like what I expected.

Two pianos, positioned in the front of the building surrounded by a massive rainbow of colors representing every team in the Big Ten.

One piano played the Ohio State fight song, the other pounded out The Victors, each trying to outdo the other in both style and volume.

Next to the pianos was a bar employee in front of a blackboard taking wagers from fans to hear their school’s fight song played.

Ohio State and Michigan were trading places at the top spot, until a group of Spartans pooled their funds and displaced the Buckeyes as No. 1.

I called it a night after that, because Draymond Green’s Spartans were set to go up against Jared Sullinger’ s Buckeyes the next day.

MSU took care of Ohio State 68-64, and Green was named tournament MVP .

Myself, some other band members and a few directors decided to go out and celebrate, so we decided on an old classic amongst the older contingent, Kilroy’s Bar N’ Grill.

If you like Long Island iced tea, this is the place for you.

They have every flavor under the sun.

It was a great way to end the trip.

It’s a great city to be a fan in, too.

That is what I remember of it.

Zach Smith is a State News men’s basketball reporter. Reach him at zsmith@statenews.com.